This invention relates generally to apparatus which facilitates the filling of a liquid-carrying tank. More specifically it relates to a tank fill assist comprising a flexible conduit which is normally stowed within the interior of the tank, which is withdrawn through a fill opening of the tank to connect to a source of fill liquid remote from the tank opening when the tank is to be filled, and which is returned to stowage within the tank's interior after filling. The disclosed embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for filling a tank with fresh water from the faucet.
Certain consumer products comprise tanks, or other equivalent volumes, which are required to be filled with fresh water. Such products may be nothing more than water tanks alone, or they may be products which are recognized as other than water tanks, but which have water tanks incorporated into them. An example of a consumer product of the latter type would be a fresh water flush portable toilet which contains an integral fresh water storage chamber for a self-contained supply of fresh water for use in flushing of the toilet.
While many small tanks can be filled from almost any sink faucet simply by placement under the faucet, larger products cannot be filled as conveniently. For example, the fresh water storage chamber of a typical fresh water flush portable toilet cannot be filled directly from the usual kitchen or bathroom sink faucet because the toilet's size and shape in relation to the usual kitchen or bathroom sink basin prevent the water chamber's fill opening from being disposed directly beneath the faucet's outlet. While some products can be manipulated to place their fill openings below the faucet outlet, the orientation is often at an angle so that the product can at most be only partially filled. If use of a standard household hose is contemplated, such faucets typically lack a threaded outlet to which such a hose can be directly attached. The possibility of using a hose to fill a tank at the usual home bathroom or kitchen sink faucet is therefore unlikely unless the homeowner possesses a special adapter for connecting the hose fitting to the faucet. At that, most standard home hoses are of significant lengths, 25 foot, 50 foot and 100 foot lengths being common, so that carrying such a hose into the house is properly deemed an inconvenience. Accordingly, use of hose to fill a tank from a kitchen or bathroom sink faucet is considered improbable, and if attempted, somewhat of a nuisance.
Complete filling of such consumer products from faucets has heretofore depended upon either the availability of a faucet under which the fill opening can be directly placed, or the availability of suitably threaded faucet outlet, or suitable adapter, for attachment of a standard household hose. To the extent that suitable faucet installations exist, they are usually either indoors in basements or laundry rooms, or else outdoors. Finding a hose, and then taking it and the consumer product to laundry room or basement for filling, involves extra effort. Need for an adapter is an added complication. Likewise having to go outside for filling may also be considered an inconvenience, and indeed outdoor faucets are usually shut off in the winter months in colder climates so that filling during this time may have to be done indoors.
While many consumer products which involve periodic water filling are considered recreational or leisure products which are used for the most part outdoors in warmer weather, outdoor filling may still be considered an inconvenience. For example, a hose may still be required. Even at certain sites which permit a product to be placed directly underneath a faucet and filled without a hose, it is often necessary for the individual to support the product underneath the faucet while also operating the faucet. Where the product has a significant capacity, it can become tiresome to hold the increasing weight during the fill, and it may become difficult to accurately maintain the alignment of the fill opening with the faucet outlet. Consequently, water may spray or spill onto the individual and the immediate surroundings. If this were to happen inside the home, it would certainly be considered undesirable.
Moreover, some types of faucets have spring-loaded operators whereby in order to maintain a flow of water from the faucet the individual must continuously press on the operator. Where the individual filling a tank also has to support a tank beneath the faucet or hold the end of a hose in the tank, the task is further complicated by this particular type of faucet mechanism.
A survey of prior art has developed references showing self-contained conduits which are stowed within a tank or container and extended for use. Examples appear in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,198,933; 2,723,056; 2,789,734; 2,805,001; 3,168,248; and 4,450,966. Such conduits appear intended for the most part to facilitate emptying of the contents of the associated tanks, or containers, rather than filling, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,248 does not even involve filling or emptying of the container within which the conduit is stowed. Other patents developed depict usage of fill assist devices and reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 747,052 and 2,002,592.
The present invention is directed broadly to a tank fill assist which can improve the convenience of filling products of the types described above with fresh water.
One important advantage of the invention is that the tank fill assist is normally stowed within the tank itself; when the tank is to be filled, the fill assist is extended from the tank and cooperatively associated with a faucet. Upon completion of filling, the fill assist is inserted back into the tank. Therefore the fill assist goes with the tank and is always available for use.
While the principles of the invention are not necessarily limited to any particular length for the tank fill assist, the disclosed embodiment comprises a length of conduit which is suited for most filling uses, and is much shorter than the lengths of the standard hoses described above.
One constructional feature of the tank fill assist relates to a means for resisting complete separation from the tank. While the fill assist can be intentionally separated from the tank, accidental separation is essentially ruled out by this constructional feature. This feature allows the fill assist to be easily initially inserted into the tank, yet if release from the tank is necessary, it can be manipulated for intentially desired separation of the fill assist from the tank.
Still another feature of the invention relates to a retainer via which the tank fill assist is cooperatively associated with a fill opening of the tank. When the tank fill assist is in the stowed position, an inlet fitting on the conduit nests within the retainer, and the retainer itself nests within the fill opening. The organization and arrangement is such that there is a coaction between the fill opening, the retainer, the conduit, and the inlet fitting which yields significant benefits.
One of these is that the retainer can be supported on internal partial screw threads formed in the fill opening while permitting the usual closure cap for the fill opening to be screwed on and off in the usual manner without interference.
A further benefit is that an additional fill path is provided through the retainer which is independent of the fill path through the conduit. This additional fill path is present with the retainer nested in the fill opening, and in the preferred embodiment of the invention, is independent of whether the inlet fitting on the conduit is nested in the retainer (i.e. the tank fill assist in the stowed position) or whether the conduit has been extended from the tank. Thus, when the tank fill assist of the present invention is cooperatively associated with the fill opening, the tank can still be filled without use of the tank fill assist by simply introducing water directly into the fill opening, for example by placing it directly beneath a faucet or pouring from another container.
Furthermore a fill assist embodying principles of the invention can be fabricated using conventional fabrication procedures. The disclosed preferred embodiment comprises the use of standard flexible tubular walled conduit and several molded parts.
A molded plastic outlet fitting is inserted into one end of the flexible conduit, and it is this outlet fitting which acts to resist accidental separation of the fill assist from the tank when the conduit is drawn from the tank.
The inlet fitting is joined to the opposite end of the conduit through a molded plastic union. The inlet fitting is a soft, somewhat pliable, one piece molded member which can be pushed onto the outlet of most home faucets. It includes an inwardly directed lip at its inlet end which deflects when the fitting is pushed onto a faucet and which maintains a satisfactory seal with respect to the faucet. After filling the fitting is removed simply by pulling it off the faucet, the lip having a sufficiently resilient character allowing such separation to take place without excessive force. The inlet fitting possesses further uniqueness in that it comprises a composition consisting of a mixture of synthetic rubber and plastic.
The retainer is a molded plastic piece which fits around the tubular walled flexible conduit. The retainer has two integral apertures in its sidewall diametrically opposite each other. It is through these apertures that water can be introduced independent of the conduit. One edge portion of each aperture defines a corresponding segment of a circular ring. These ring segments are on diametrically opposite sides of the retainer and serve to support the retainer on the partial internal screw threads of the fill opening which are diametrically opposite each other on the internal wall of the fill opening. A transverse end wall of the retainer has a hole with a diameter noticeably larger than the outside diameter of the tubular walled conduit so that the tubular walled conduit has a free sliding fit with respect to the retainer. The retainer is however axially captured on the conduit between the two end fittings.
Because of its attributes the tank fill assist can be sold as a separate accessory kit for use with consumer products which are already in service. However the tank fill assist can be sold with the product at time of original purchase.
While the invention promotes convenience of use for all users, it may afford a more noticeable improvement in convenience for women and children.
The foregoing features, advantages, and benefits of the invention, along with additional ones, will be seen in the ensuing description and claims which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at the present time in carrying out the invention.